I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time containing myself from buying too much every time I’m at my farmer’s market or favorite local produce shop.

How could you resist not going home with one of everything here??

Greens of every kind (I came home with swiss chard, fresh spinach and dandelion greens on this trip), local tomatoes (ours typically come from Ruskin, FL and you can literally smell the freshness as you walk up to the boxes of tomatoes), and a variety of beautiful eggplants, peppers and squashes you don’t typically see on your regular trip to the grocery store. Produce heaven!! I love it. Absolutely love it.

I pretty much always come home with a big bag of tomatoes. That’s a given.

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If you asked me who is playing this weekend for Super Bowl I honestly would only be able to name one of the teams – and only because of all the major love or hate for this particular team do I even know that they are playing. Super Bowl is fun, but for me it’s not about the football. I’ve never been a big NFL fan but I do enjoy watching sports and participating in sport watching festivities that include food and beverage so there’s that.

Anyone else feel me here?

We all need good appetizer recipes to put out during Super Bowl and if you can throw in a few healthier ones even better! Here are a few of my favorite healthy appetizers I think would be a hit on Sunday whether you are hosting a party at your house or going to watch somewhere and need to bring a dish.

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I am a sucker for any kind of dip and chip situation. It’s one of my major food weaknesses, if you want to classify it as a weakness. Over the years, I’ve learned that I have no willpower when it comes to store bought pita chips and I could easily polish off a bag with some hummus in a short amount of time. Not one of the worst things in the world, but I don’t always feel so great afterwards obviously.

Making your own homemade baked pita chips is too easy not to do. Nothing beats how fresh they taste, and when I use my favorite pita rounds I feel even better about them too. If you are tracking your food for weight loss or health reasons, making your own is such a great option to really enjoy them as a snack.

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Like this easy Corn and Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno recipe? Pin the recipe here!

This recipe for easy Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers was originally posted on July 5, 2011. Since then, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe for get-togethers. My friend Heidi always serves them as an appetizer for parties at her house and just told me she likes to bring them to friends’ houses as well – that’s a true compliment and testament to how good they are! She also has told me she freezes them, so they are freezer friendly!

I wanted to share this recipe for these baked stuffed jalapenos with you again since it’s been so long, and since football season is right around the corner and you’ll be looking for easy appetizer recipes to make for game days. Check out the instructional video on how to make this simple stuffed jalapeno recipe below.

Enjoy!

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This post is created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.

With the holidays and holiday entertaining in full swing, appetizer recipes are in high demand right now. My favorite type of get together during the holiday is one that is laid back and full of finger foods and cocktails.

If you are a mushroom lover like I am, then you probably get excited when you see a plate of stuffed mushrooms included in the spread at a party. Not only do I love eating stuffed mushrooms, but I enjoy coming up with new ideas for fillings every time I make them. For these Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms, I kept it simple and used artichokes along with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Each bite is filled with cheesy goodness!

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This post was created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.

A few weeks ago I spent a morning at Milk-A-Way Dairy, a dairy farm just a couple hours from my house. In just a few hours I had such an eye opening and educational experience, learning so much about dairy farming, the families and people behind it and the cows themselves.

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It’s June and that means the lazy days of summer are officially here. It’s also National Dairy Month and what a better way to celebrate than with a summer-friendly dip filled with nutrient-rich dairy like this kicked-up Chipotle Ranch Greek Yogurt Dip! National Dairy Month isn’t just a celebration of the deliciousness of dairy or to promote drinking milk, though that may be what first comes to mind. It’s also a time to bring attention to the hard working dairy farmers and their responsible practices, which include care and commitment to their animals as well as to our environment – you can learn more about the dairy farming industry’s sustainability efforts here.

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This recipe was created in partnership with Sabra in honor of National Hummus Day which is May 13.

I don’t know about you, but I would be totally okay with sitting down to a plate of these Mediterranean Nachos for an unofficial meal any night of the week. They would particularly be welcomed on a Friday or Saturday night, when I tend to lose my steam for putting together a real meal.

I like snacky food, I always have and I always will. There is not an appetizer plate I can resist and these “nachos” are officially on that list. The best part is how easy they are to put together (would I ever steer you to something complicated?) and how quickly they disappear once they are served.

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Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend!! My holiday started last Thursday when my friend Kristen flew into town for a visit. We planned a fun couple of days earlier this year with tickets to Justin Bieber (we are closet Beliebers) and a day of eating and drinking around the world at Epcot with our friend Julie. Music, food, drinks and friends – doesn’t get much better than that!

Before we started getting ready for our night out with JB, I wanted to make something to snack on while we sipped some wine and got ready. I literally whipped up this Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Spread with Walnuts in minutes, with ingredients I almost always have on hand.

It’s fun cooking for friends and I was excited to experiment with an appetizer idea that had been in my head for a while. My daughter and husband approved as well!

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This post was sponsored by Sabra.

Hey, do you know what today is? National Hummus Day! Let’s celebrate with some … hummus, of course (and a coupon – get your couon here – available today only!).

I don’t know about you but when I’m asked to bring an appetizer, or if I’m having people over for a get-together, a veggie plate is a no-brainer when it comes to figuring out what food I’m going to put out to snack on. A veggie plate with hummus, that is. (I love how Sabra refers to this as the #UnofficialMeal, it really is!). Sometimes I make my own, but most of the time I grab my favorite Sabra flavor or spruce up my own version using their classic – like I did today with this Lemon Pepper Hummus.

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